To decide whether to install cold glazing on your balcony or not, you need to weigh all its pros and cons. People whose apartments have a loggia or balcony benefit over those who do not have additional space. After all, in this room you can make something like a pantry, a winter garden, or connect a room, thus increasing it. One of the many important issues is the glazing of the balcony. Today, there are various options for insulating external structures - these include cold, warm or panoramic glazing.
Cold glazing: characteristic features
Each type has its pros and cons. Panoramic glazing is quite expensive, but very beautiful. A warm structure cannot be called cheap either; in addition, due to its maximum weight, a warm structure is not installed in all rooms.
The main advantage of cold glazing is its low cost, which is affordable to everyone
Despite the fact that cold glazing will not make the room warm, it still has its advantages:
- The design is durable;
- Has an aesthetic appearance;
- It is inexpensive;
- It is not a flammable material;
- If installed correctly, it will last a long time
- Allows you to create additional space.
Cold glazing, or rather the structures consist of profiles and glass. There are no further additional materials. With such glazing, a person can significantly save money, space on a balcony or loggia, and not have problems with old slabs, thanks to the light weight of the structure, which does not create additional load.
What is this
Glazing improves the comfort of a room. The work is carried out using two technologies - cold and warm. To make a decision in favor of one or another type of balcony protection, it is worth knowing what cold glazing is and what is the difference between warm glazing. What's the difference?
With this type of glazing of balconies, an inexpensive profile with single glass and sliding frames is used. The room is not insulated, only cosmetic finishing is done - the concrete slab is covered with floors, the walls and ceiling are covered with decorative plastic panels.
Such balcony blocks are light in weight, and to save space they are made with a remote window sill. Suitable for small balconies in old residential buildings.
If, when carrying out this type of glazing, it is planned to dismantle the balcony elements, then the work must be approved by the BTI and the municipal unitary enterprise of housing and communal services.
The process of cold glazing of balconies and loggias
The name “cold” means that the space will not retain heat. But it is precisely for this reason that many choose this type.
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In this case, an aluminum system is used, which is a sliding structure. That is, when installing cold glazing on a balcony, free space is significantly saved. The window sashes will not open; they can be moved apart. Due to the light weight of the structure (aluminum windows are lighter than their plastic “brothers”), it can be used to glaze any type of balcony. For apartments in old buildings, especially Khrushchev-era buildings, this type of glazing is the only available option precisely for the reason that aluminum does not have a strong mechanical impact on the facade and foundation of the building. The balcony of a Khrushchev building, on which other types of glazing are installed, may simply collapse.
The process of installing cold balcony glazing does not take much time
The aluminum structure can be subsequently painted in any color, so you don’t have to worry about the external interior of the balcony.
Almost all manufacturers offer aluminum windows in different colors, so there will be no problems with the choice. One of the advantages of cold glazing is its cost. It is the lowest compared to other types of structures installed on the balcony.
Material: wood, PVC, aluminum
Windows on the balcony can be made of different materials. For the cold type, aluminum and plastic are most often used, and wood is more often used to create warm structures. Each material has its own characteristics that need to be studied before settling on one of them.
Tree
Wooden windows have the following advantages:
- high level of sound insulation;
- low thermal conductivity;
- long service life;
- high hygienic properties;
- ability to retain heat.
However, wood frames are not used very often. This is due to the following factors:
- high cost of materials;
- the need for regular painting, treatment with pest control agents, protection from moisture;
- high mass, requiring effort during installation work, strengthening existing slabs that may not withstand such weight.
Aluminum
This material has many advantages, so most buyers choose it:
- lightness, allowing the doors to be installed in any room;
- strength;
- long service life;
- combustion resistance;
- absence of influence of negative environmental factors;
- thin frames increase the flow of daylight into the room;
- the possibility of equipping with thermal inserts, which allows you to somewhat level out the high level of thermal conductivity of this material.
The only drawback of aluminum windows is the fairly high cost.
PVC profile
There are options for frames created from modern polyvinyl chloride profiles. This material is the most common, it has practically no disadvantages, but has a lot of advantages. Among them:
- sound insulation;
- thermal insulation;
- strength;
- ease of installation work;
- ease of necessary care;
- wide palette of shades.
The only limitation that does not allow installing PVC windows will be the weakness of the concrete base. Old houses should not be loaded with heavy systems; they can cause their destruction.
Cold and warm glazing of balconies: what is the difference
Many people think that the cold look of glazing is not serious. But this is not true at all. If you do not plan to make a living space out of a balcony or loggia, then aluminum cold glazing is an ideal option. This makes it possible to create ideal conditions for storing preserved food or to set up a winter garden. Even in severe frosts, the temperature in the balcony will be above zero. But the balcony and its interior will be protected from precipitation, dirt, dust and street noise. And this is another advantage of this design.
Insulation of a balcony or loggia is carried out using warm glazing. Despite the fact that it costs more and is a rather labor-intensive process, it is very popular.
The choice of cold or warm glazing, as a rule, depends on the purpose of the balcony
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This is a great option for those people who want to turn a balcony or loggia into an extension of their apartment, or a separate space for drinking their morning coffee. The microclimate on the balcony or loggia, thanks to the properties of wooden structures, is maintained all year round. One of the disadvantages of glazing is that due to the thickness of the insulation, the space is significantly narrowed.
What type of glazing to choose is a question that worries many apartment owners. First of all, you should rely on opportunities and needs. If you need to expand your balcony or loggia, then in this case it is better not to save money and prefer warm glazing. If this is not necessary, then a cold design is the most suitable option. The balcony can be used as a storage room or wardrobe.
As mentioned above, warm glazing is not available to everyone. It depends on the design of the building. But in any case, aluminum structures are a win-win option, because they will still protect the room from negative natural phenomena. Reviews from consumers who already use cold glazing are only positive.
pros
This type of glazing is popular nowadays, as it protects the room from rain, wind, dust and noise. To decide whether to do it or not, you should know the pros and cons.
The advantages include the following.
- Lightweight and minimal load on the base. The design is applicable to all types of loggias. Light weight does not cause collapse of balcony slabs in old-type houses.
- Durability - window blocks can withstand heavy loads with low weight.
- The original design does not spoil the appearance of the facade of the house.
- Long service life without loss of performance.
- Low cost of window units and installation work.
What are the disadvantages of cold glazing?
One of the main disadvantages is that the balcony glazing is really cold. The aluminum profile does not retain heat, so the temperature in the balcony will be 11-130 C higher than outside. Compared to wooden structures, cold windows do not have good sound insulation properties.
The only and main disadvantage of cold balcony glazing is low sound insulation
This is explained by the fact that during installation it is not a double-glazed window that is installed, but standard glass, the thickness of which is 0.4 cm. Another drawback is that cold glazing is not a sealed system. In addition, very often in winter, icing of the structure occurs, which renders it inoperable during cold weather. The balcony or loggia will not open.
Options for opening balcony windows
The design of frames and sashes involves various types of opening:
- Sliding.
The doors move in the plane of the fence, which is very convenient, because things and furniture, clotheslines and flower pots do not interfere with them. Specifics of sliding opening:
- light weight;
- the width and height of the sashes can be of the largest dimensions;
- the doors do not slam shut due to drafts;
- The glass is easy to clean from the outside.
- Hinged glazing
. The shutters open like regular windows - with the help of rotary hinges. In order for the doors to open unhindered, enough space is required, which is sometimes not easy to find on a narrow balcony where there is furniture and lines for drying clothes. Swing opening specifics:
- tightness is higher than with sliding opening;
- the width of the sash is no more than the width of the balcony itself;
- the upper part of the glazing is made blank;
- it is possible to use a wide profile with many cameras and thick double-glazed windows;
- The glass is easy to clean from all sides.
Do-it-yourself installation of structures
There is a lot of information on how to replace an old structure with an aluminum one yourself.
People who work in the construction industry can easily install cold glazing on their balcony on their own
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Do-it-yourself installation of cold glazing of a loggia and balcony is carried out in the following steps:
- Profiles are ordered (it is important to take accurate measurements; if you do not have the appropriate skills and abilities, it is better to contact a specialist);
- The balcony is being prepared - dismantle the old frame, remove all debris;
- Fasten the profiles together using self-tapping screws;
- Install and secure the finished frame on the balcony railing, check with a level;
- Install the slope and mosquito net, if provided;
- Treat all unprotected areas with sealant.
Glazing without and with extension
Currently, there are two basic design schemes for cold glazing of balconies using aluminum profile structures.
Basically, cold glazing of a balcony with extension is done in order to slightly increase the space of the room
The first scheme: cold glazing involves installing aluminum profiles on a balcony base or on support bars, which are fixed directly to the balcony railing.
This type is considered more reliable; in addition, installation can be done with your own hands, as it is quite lightweight.
The disadvantages include the lack of additional usable space due to the bulkiness of the design components.
More complex remote glazing design. In this case, the brackets are secured from the inside of the balcony. Their length is 30-35 cm. The fastening belt provides for fastening on the upper and lower sides, onto which the bars are subsequently installed. The result is additional living space. This type of glazing is very difficult to install in old Khrushchev buildings.
